On Assignment to the Planet of the Exalted

by Helena Puumala

  “Plus this way there’s no need to maintain roads or rail systems,” Jock added. “Apparently at one time we did have a mag-rail system between the Capital City and the Space Port, but the government didn’t bother to maintain it. The Four Hundred Families had obtained fliers and flits for themselves and for government use, and it wasn’t considered necessary for the Ordinary Citizens to get anywhere fast.”

  Jock was right about there not being much to see from the road. Kati fervently hoped that he would be able to transform his connections in the Capital City into an invitation to tour the facility. That seemed like a more promising way to get a look at the conditions, than her first idea of sneaking inside somehow, in the dead of night. Although, as she commented to the Granda, the sneaking in was still the Plan B, should Jock’s wiles, and blatant use of a manufactured lust connection between him and her, fail to produce results.

  “I think you’ll get your tour if you don’t mind having your reputation tarnished,” The Monk subvocalized. “People who like dirt are only too happy to believe that others wallow in it. Maybe your Ithcarite friend can let it be known that you’re rather fond of looking at naked male bodies, especially when they’re of the fine quality that the Klensers display.”

  “Yuck,” Kati responded. “Still, it might work, and I’m prepared to do whatever will get us where we need to go. Wonder how long it’ll take to find that brothel that Roxanna was in, and where Ingrid should still be, looking after her protégés? In any case, we’re almost in the City.”

  *****

  Late that evening, they arrived at their destination. Jock led them to a centrally located Inn which promised quiet rooms at a reasonable cost. Kati took an immediate liking to the Inn Proprietress, a middle-aged woman, rather portly for a Vultairian, and the possessor of a cheerful, resounding laugh. She gave her name as Nelli, and called upon one of her sons to take the cart and the runnerbeasts into the stables at the back.

  “Yaro can bring your bags into your rooms,” she said as Kati paid for their two rooms. “Or you can go and dig inside your cart any time you want to—just ask Yaro to unlock the storage room door. We keep our doors locked all the time; a certain amount of vandalism happens occasionally, although other kinds of crime are rare in our area.”

  Kati told Yaro that their personal possessions were all packed in the bags which they had left by the back door of the cart—“although they may have shifted”—and they would not need other things until they had arranged for a location for their shows. Then they would need to get into the cart again, for their instruments and other equipment.

  “Oh, you’re those off-worlders,” Nelli said, sounding delighted. “The wandering entertainers. Wait till I tell my neighbours! I’m sure some of the businesses around here will come up with a venue for your show. They’re not going to let you go to another part of the City! This is absolutely wonderful for us!”

  “Well,” said Kati to Jock, once they were getting settled into their second-story rooms. “Looks like you brought us into a friendly neighbourhood.”

  “Oh yes,” Jock replied, standing at the door which connected the two rooms. “I remember Nelli although I doubt that she remembers me. Or she only remembers me as that weird Exalted who was polite to her and her staff. I suppose that she’ll recognize me when it comes time to put on my Carmaks colours; right now, dressed as an Ordinary Citizen, I’m pretty run-of-the-mill to her.”

  “Ah yes, we’ll have to trade on your birthright,” Kati laughed. “I suppose if Nelli caters to people of all description, that alone is a good reason to make this our headquarters.”

  “Most Inns will take whatever custom they can get,” Jock said with a shrug, “as long as the Exalted are willing to reimburse the owners for any damage they do during their wilder exploits. The Four Hundred mostly have Capital City Residences, and only the most distant connections have to stay at the Inns. We Carmaks, however, have not felt particularly welcome in the Capital, and only keep a small apartment as a permanent residence. Hector’s Uncle Kelt resides there these days, performing the duties of a Senator, and keeping an eye on things. Thus, even if I was wearing my colours proudly, I’d still have to stay at an Inn, and Nelli’s is as good as any, and better than many.”

  *****

  The next morning, the Troupe had a “breakfast meeting” in a quiet restaurant a couple of blocks from the Inn. Jock said that he chose the eatery because its owner was more interested in betting opportunities than in eavesdropping on his customers’ conversations. His staff shared his enthusiasm for gambling, from the look of things, but the food was tasty. Jock laughed when Kati commented on this.

  “Mack has to pay for his habit,” he said. “From what I have heard, he is an enthusiastic gambler, not a good one. He has to run a decent restaurant to keep the patrons coming, and providing him with the cash to spend on the races. Of course some of his customers like to gamble, too, which makes him happy, but does not necessarily add to his bottom line.”

  “I didn’t realize the runnerbeasts were used for racing,” Joaley muttered, perusing the boards filled with information for the gamblers. There were lists of races that were to take place that very evening, and the present odds offered on the animals taking part.

  “Only here in the Capital City, on this continent,” Jock replied. “The other continents have their racing meccas, too, but this is it, for us. Going to races, and gambling are a way for the bored Exalted to amuse themselves, and a certain portion of the rest of the citizens have taken to it, too. They, of course, have less time for it, being obligated to earn a living, but since there are many more of them, they do make up a substantial portion of those interested. I doubt that the racing, of the runnerbeasts, or of the hounds, could happen without the Ordinary Citizens.”

  “Of course not,” commented the middle-aged waiter who had come to take their food orders and to set up the service for the herbal tea. “The Exalted couldn’t run a single racing stable or track on their own.” He snorted scornfully.

  “I thought you said that the help here wouldn’t eavesdrop on us, Jock,” Joaley said after the waiter had gone.

  “He paid attention to our words only because we were talking about racing,” Jock replied. “Any other subject, just watch his eyes glaze over.”

  They were busy discussing who should do what that day when the server returned to refill their tea mugs and to assure them that their food would be arriving shortly. One of the tasks to be assigned was the search for a venue for their shows, and Kati was rather amused to note that the waiter showed no interest in the topic, unlike almost every other server that they had encountered during their travels. Instead, his attention seemed consumed by the odds board upon which his employer was making some changes. She grinned at Joaley who was watching the server.

  “Okay,” Joaley said. “I concede to your wisdom, Jock.”

  Kati was certain that the waiter did not hear the words, nor the chortle of laughter from Lank.

  “So how are we going to divide the work for the day, oh Gracious Troupe Leader?” Joaley asked. “Or do you know?”

  “I wouldn’t mind seeing if it isn’t possible to find the brothel that Roxanna was kept in,” Kati responded. “How would one go about doing that, Jock?”

  “Hm. I have to admit to certain amount of ignorance when it comes to the Red-Light District,” the Vultairian answered. “I know where it is, of course. But....” He shrugged his shoulders.

  “Maybe, if you got its name, someone around hereabouts could direct you,” Rakil suggested.

  “I don’t think so,” Jock said. “The residents of this area aren’t likely to know the location of a particular bordello. Too expensive, and too crazy for the likes of them.”

  “What about the City Information Bureau? Like how we found out Marston’s address in Port City,” Joaley queried.

  Jock shook his head vigorously.

  “And announce to the Laggos Family that we’re interested in that sort of thing? I
don’t think so. The Laggoses are half-smart; we don’t want to arouse their suspicions before we have to.”

  “Well, that’s one reason why we wanted you with us, Jock,” Kati said with a sigh. “To stop us from stepping into smelly stuff. Wait, The Monk has something.”

  The others waited the few moments it took her to consult the Granda.

  “The Monk says that he may have enough information from what he got from Roxanna to make an identification, if I walk by the place,” she reported.

  That decided it. Joaley, Rakil and Lank would see about the arrangements for the shows while Kati and Jock would walk through the Red-Light District.

  “We may not want to wear out our welcome too quickly by performing too often,” Lank said, while they discussed the shows. “We have things to do here so we’ll have to hang around, like it or not.”

  “We can make like curious tourists,” Joaley suggested. “Perform often enough to keep us in coins to pay for the Inn, and to eat. The rest of the time we can wander around gawking at things and places, like the ignorant foreigners that we are.”

  “And pay attention to anything that might be of professional interest while we’re at it,” Rakil added.

  “That sounds like a plan,” Kati agreed. “Am I right, Jock, in thinking that there’s enough in this City to keep us occupied with touristy things for weeks?”

  “Oh, there are lots of good excuses to spend time in this burg,” Jock said. “It is the Capital, after all, and considerably bigger than Port City. And if we run through the attractions, the entertainments, and the shopping before our work is done, and before your friends arrive, some of you can always develop a passion for gambling, or some other handy vice.”

  “Actually, it occurred to me that possibly we could cultivate some of your useful connections by taking an interest in racing,” Kati suggested. “Wouldn’t it make sense to run into some old acquaintances at the race track while you’re squiring around your off-world Adventuress who has a slightly unhealthy gambling habit?”

  Jock cackled.

  “I like that,” he said. “That would make meeting the Oligarchs easy, and natural. All of them end up at the runnerbeast track sooner or later!”

  “Just watch how much money you throw away at the track,” Joaley nattered. “We don’t want to be working hard only to have you shovel our take into that maw.”

  Kati giggled.

  “Joaley, that’s good,” she said. “Cultivate that attitude. Bitch about my race-track spending whenever the opportunity arises. We can make good use of my supposed gambling addiction, and your anger at me for indulging it with money we’re all earning together.”

  “Dissension in the ranks?” Rakil asked with a grin.

  “It can’t hurt,” Kati replied. “And if you think of anything else that might come in useful, let me know.

  “Meanwhile, Jock and I will go on our walk this morning. Let’s see if The Monk and I succeed in correlating the information that we got from Roxanna.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Nelli’s Inn was located in the business district of a fairly average City sector populated by the Ordinary Citizens. Residential streets surrounded the commercial area, and at the sector’s edge, beyond the houses, were the City’s two race tracks. One was the runnerbeast track; the other one was for all other races—although it mostly saw hounds. Because of this proximity, on race days the region’s restaurants and bars became hives of activity where the overflow betting crowds came to watch race VidFeeds, and to place their wagers. The bettors brought a lot of custom to proprietors like Mack; nevertheless, the gambling was really only a side line to the district, since much other business was always going on. Nelli’s, for example, was hardly the only Inn around, and the visitors staying in these generally had come to the city for commercial reasons, or to deal with the government, or both. If they tossed a few coins on a promising-looking hound or a runnerbeast during the course of an evening, that was entertainment.

  The Exalted, Jock had explained to Kati, rarely patronized the VidFeed outlets. They had guaranteed seats at the tracks—one of their privileges. He himself could claim a seat, or a few, in the stands, and had done so, on occasion. It was a matter, simply, of wearing the Carmaks Colours and presenting himself at the Entrance Booth, and that was how he was going to take Kati to the races, introducing her to the gambling, as well as a few members of the Oligarchy.

  However, before getting to that, they would do as dull a tour of the Red-Light District as was possible.

  “The morning is the best time of the day to get the lay of the land,” Jock said, as the two of them walked along streets which they had to share with various types of carts drawn by runnerbeasts. Most of these were hauling produce, brought in from the surrounding farmsteads.

  “Mornings are relatively quiet in the Sin City. Everybody has to sleep sometime, and most of the inhabitants of the Red-Light District do so when the sun comes up. There are, of course, establishments which cater to those who like to keep going all night, but by this time of the day even the most dedicated and the most drugged-up patrons have either dragged themselves home, or have engaged a bed for sleeping, rather than carousal. Only the cleaning staff will be active in the Houses of Pleasure.”

  “Meaning that we won’t run into many Oligarchs during our little reconnoitre,” Kati said, arching her eyebrows. “No worries about you being recognized as you squire around an off-worlder while dressed in the garb of an Ordinary Citizen.”

  “Yeah.” Jock grinned wryly at her. “We don’t want to be gossiped about too soon.”

  The youngsters with the flits and the flyers appeared to be taking a break from their dare-devil antics this morning, too.

  “Sleeping in, the lazy bums,” Jock commented, when Kati pointed this out.

  “Don’t they have to go to school?” Kati asked, wrinkling her nose.

  Jock laughed.

  “You don’t know much about the life-styles of the privileged lazy,” he said. “Schooling is hardly necessary when, as an adult you can learn things quickly, thanks to your translation node—especially since only your class has that advantage.”

  “Hector and Marina were schooling their children,” Kati protested.

  “Of course. Hector went to school, and there is no way Marina will let her kids miss out on an education. But then, you may have noticed that we Carmaks are different from the run-of-the-mill Exalted.” He grinned at her.

  “Oh, I’ve noticed,” Kati laughed. “And I would imagine that the Carmaks shine like bright intellectual beacons in any gathering of the Exalted.”

  “We do. That’s one of the reasons why the Oligarchs don’t much care for us rebellious Exalted. They don’t like arguing with us since our arguments tend to make sense. So they keep us out of government committees and councils, thereby ensuring that we have very little real influence, even though, according to their own rules, we’re entitled to participate in governing bodies.”

  “Is it possible to go and watch the government proceedings?” Kati queried. “Do they allow spectators in, to witness the passing of laws in the Legislature?”

  Jock shook his head.

  “I’m well-educated enough to know that that’s a common practice on Federation worlds. Not on this one, though. Everything here goes on behind closed doors; the common people are deemed too stupid to be interested in, or capable of following the legislative procedures. It’s a travesty, of course; one of the things we rebels would like to see changed.

  “As tourists, however, you and your friends can walk the Legislative Grounds and tour the buildings whenever the government is not holding sessions, which is most of the time. Most of the decisions are made in the councils and committees, and only brought up for rubber-stamping by the Senate. Uncle Kelt and the other rebellious members of the Four Hundred Families, each get the opportunity to make a two-minute protest speech, while around them Senators sigh and whine about the waste of time, before a vote is taken and anoth
er idiotic act is passed into law.”

  “Hm. I might take advantage of a tour,” Kati mused. “I’m not sure what good it might do, but you never know. Maybe knowing the layout of the government grounds and buildings might come in useful—I really don’t know.”

  “I can arrange for you to meet Uncle Kelt; he’ll be pleased to show you around. He’ll be thrilled to meet an off-worlder who takes an interest in our government—even if it is a travesty. If he had influence, he’d be changing the way this planet’s run. He’s definitely one of the good guys, something like Jorun, but with the advantage of having a node. It’s a waste to keep him idle—but that’s how our governors want him.”

  “If he’d be thrilled to meet me, just wait until Mikal gets here, and starts lecturing about government and cooperation, like he did on the Drowned Planet,” Kati said, laughing. “The Oligarchs won’t understand what wind is blowing them away.”

  *****

  The buildings around Kati and Jock were growing more impressive. Kati gazed at the stately old homes that stood on both sides of the street. The houses were surrounded by well-tended gardens and boasted ornate entrances, both into the houses and the gardens.

  “Are you sure we’re going the right way?” she asked. “I thought that we were heading into the Red-Light District?”

  “Yes and yes,” Jock answered, looking at her curiously. “What were you expecting? Dilapidated tenements?”

  “More along those lines,” Kati conceded. “And streetwalkers. Although, I guess it’s wrong time of the day for streetwalkers.”

  “Streetwalkers?” Jock raised his eyebrows. “And you’re talking about what, exactly?”

  “Ladies of the night,” Kati replied, looking around at the pristine territory around her. “Working girls. ‘Nightladies’ they called them on Makros III. Prostitutes who solicit for clients on street corners, and take them to rooms rented out by the hour.”

  “Oh, there’s nothing like that here,” Jock protested. “For one thing, all the brothel owners are Exalted, and they have arranged things so that it’s pretty nearly impossible, at least in the Capital City, for anyone to practise the trade outside of a licensed bordello.”